The summer transfer window is here, and there’s plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
TOP STORY: Man United rebuild continues with Kalajdzic and Rabiot
It appears there is plenty going on with Manchester United at the moment, according to various reports — although Cristiano Ronaldo‘s departure isn’t on the itinerary.
Although Ronaldo has been linked with the likes of Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Napoli throughout the summer, it appears he will be staying at Old Trafford unless there is a major last-minute surprise in this window, according to AS.
The Red Devils reportedly see the forward as a key player both on the pitch and in their economic framework. Manager Erik ten Hag has previously suggested that, despite speculation otherwise, Ronaldo doesn’t really want to leave Man United.
Man United are looking at a number of striking options and reportedly want to bring in VfB Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic, according to Sky Sports.
The Austria international wants to join Ten Hag’s squad, having entered the final year of his Stuttgart contract and, at 25 years old, Kalajdzic feels that now is the right time to face a new challenge in his career.
Meanwhile, Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot looks ever closer to joining United after his camp had a positive meeting with United director John Murtough. While there is still work to do before an agreement is reached on a salary, talks are expected to continue.
Juventus will reportedly move to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Leandro Paredes if Rabiot departs.
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09.37 BST: Bayern Munich are looking to sign a striker after Robert Lewandowski moved to Barcelona for €45m this summer, says Sport1.
And their search has led them to Chelsea star Kai Havertz.
Havertz, 23, moved to Stamford Bridge in 2020 from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee that could reach close to €80m. Having already let strikers Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner depart, Chelsea are unlikely to want to sanction a departure for the Germany international, but may need more cash to rebuild their attack.
09.00 BST: Barcelona have finally managed to register most of their summer signings ahead of the start of the new LaLiga season this weekend, with only Jules Kounde still to be registered.
Xavi Hernandez’s side kick off their season against Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou on Saturday, but the build up to that fixture has been dominated by the club’s race against time to get all their new arrivals registered.
Barca have spent over €150m this summer on Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Kounde, while Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie both arrived on free transfers.
Prior to Friday, however, none of them had been registered with LaLiga due to the league’s strict financial regulations.
The new contracts agreed by Ousmane Dembele and Sergi Roberto had not been signed off by the Spanish league either. However, that duo were also able to be registered on Friday — along with Lewandowski, Raphinha, Christensen and Kessie — following the sale of another 24.5% of Barca Studios.
Barca’s summer spending has been funded by the sale of club assets, with each deal dubbed a “financial lever” by president Joan Laporta.
They sold 25% of their domestic television income for the next 25 years to Sixth Street in two separate packages worth €511m in total. They then sold 24.5% of Barca Studios to Socios.com for an additional €100m.
2:24
Julien Laurens discusses how close Manchester United is to acquiring Adrien Rabiot from Juventus and how the midfielder would fit in Old Trafford.
PAPER GOSSIP (by Danny Lewis)
– AC Milan are hoping to renew Rafael Leao‘s contract, with his current deal culminating in 2024, reports Calciomercato, with Paris Saint-Germain hoping to sign the winger. At the moment, Milan are unwilling to open any negotiations with the Ligue 1 champions and will point towards the Portugal international’s €150m release clause.
– The Guardian has reported that West Ham United are interested in signing Barcelona forward Memphis Depay. However, Fabrizio Romano has stated that Juventus are getting closer to reaching a deal with Depay’s camp and that talks are progressing well. A two-year deal is being discussed, with Tottenham Hotspur and various Turkish clubs now out of the race to sign him.
– Chelsea have raised their offer for Internazionale midfielder Cesare Casadei to €10m, reports Gazzetta dello Sport, although that still isn’t enough as the Nerazzurri want €15m. Sassuolo are also interested in the 19-year-old and would be willing to include a clause that would allow Inter to re-sign him — something Chelsea are not open to.
– Barcelona could be interested in signing Hector Bellerin, who is still looking for a way to leave Arsenal, reports Mundo Deportivo. The right-back has been strongly linked with Real Betis but a move there is proving difficult to push through due to their own financial struggles, leaving the possibility for Bellerin to potentially return to Barcelona after coming through La Masia academy.